We so often hear about CBD and THC, all the various benefits and how it affects the body, but there are more than 100 cannabinoids in cannabis, most of which don’t get the recognition they deserve, simply out of a lack of research and understanding.
CBN Description
CBN is a cannabinoid produced from THC-A, created as THC oxidises and converting into CBN. CBN stands for Cannabinol, while it does have a mild psychoactive reaction, but nothing compared to THC. As it is often found in cannabis where the THC has been oxygenated, this normally means old cannabis plants contain a higher quantity of CBN.
CBN Benefits
Below I’ll list the most common benefits associated with CBN, however it has to be stated again that more research is required to understand how effective this cannabinoid is as a supplement for these purposes.
1) Sedative Factor
Of all the cannabinoids, CBN is known to be the strongest sedative, with incredible therapeutic effects. The research has mainly been performed on mice, rather than humans, so you have to take it all with a pinch of salt, but one study shows incredible results.
2) Antibacterial
Put up against MRSA bacteria, CBN was amazing as an antibacterial agent, highlighting its potential to be utilised against bacterial infections that the traditional antibiotics are failing to fix, of which there are plenty!
3) Pain Relief
One of the most popular reasons for CBD, CBN has also been shown to have great pain relieving capacities. They can partly achieve this by altering pain signals, by altering the activity of neurons which affect the sensitivity to capsaicin. If you want to find out more about this, you might want to have a read of this study.
4) Appetite Stimulant
We’ve all heard how cannabis can in part help to stimulate the hunger of people who are struggling to eat due to an illness, well CBN is one of the factors in play here. This study, once again on rodents, highlights the contrast between CBD and CBN on hunger. Considering some people who do suffer from these ailments might not want to try cannabis due to the psychoactive effects of THC, CBN offers a unique opportunity not yet explored enough.
5) Bone Health
We’re not talking about the same results as either CBD or THC, but CBN has still shown anti-convulsant properties in various studies. You should have a further read of this study on the subject.
CBN Side Effects
In almost every study, there were barely any side effects in any patients, being recognised as being relatively harmless, but there were some minor side effects in a few test subjects. Looking at multiple ones I could find online, the common side effects were:
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Hunger Loss
Is CBN Legal In The UK?
As with many of the cannabinoids, CBN does have a legal limit in the UK of ‘1mg per container’. CBN isn’t considered a controlled substance, but it is mildly psychoactive and is derived from the Class B drug THC.
Conclusion
CBN clearly has a number of health benefits that are being found continuously through studies, but further human studies are required, to be performed over a length of time, to truly prove its worth. I’ve no doubt that, while CBD is seeing a huge growth in popularity, many of the other cannabinoids will become commonplace in our homes within the next decade.
